"Voters In 9 States Will Pick The People Overseeing Their Power Bills" [1]
"Public utility commissions have a ton of influence over utility rate hikes and power plant construction, but only a handful of states let voters decide who’s on them."

"Public utility commissions have a ton of influence over utility rate hikes and power plant construction, but only a handful of states let voters decide who’s on them."
"As Staci Hartwell sees it, her community has much more to lose than to gain from the development of a massive data center."
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
First, the good news: A new analysis of global wildfire activity in 2025 shows that the year had the second-lowest area burned since 2002.
But at the same time, the study also revealed that the world experienced some of the most destructive and deadly fire events in recent history, including the catastrophic Los Angeles fires of January 2025 that killed dozens and burned over 12,000 homes.
"President Donald Trump said new regulatory rollbacks on chemical refrigerants will reduce the prices consumers pay for groceries and will not impact the environment. However, U.S. chemical, refrigeration and air-conditioning manufacturers said the changes will raise prices and his administration’s own projections show that greenhouse gas pollution will increase."
"In the latest action to undo Biden-era regulations on climate change, the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday proposed repealing a rule that requires some public companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions and the risks they face from global warming."
"Executive orders limiting off-road vehicle access to federal lands signed decades ago by Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter have been revoked by President Donald Trump, drawing concerns over possible impacts to Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands and perhaps some in the National Park System."
"Federal regulators are giving chemical manufacturers and petroleum refiners more time to provide data on a group of chemicals that have been linked to human health harms as officials consider tighter regulations."
"Trackers that ping satellites every time a whale surfaces for air. Thermal cameras that can detect the animals day and night. Acoustic devices that monitor their calls." "Innovative systems to keep ships from hitting North Atlantic right whales are coming into use. The Trump administration is weighing whether they can replace a bedrock protection."
"Michigan may be known as the Great Lakes state, but most of its residents have a river to thank for their hometown’s existence."
"At a virtual public comment hearing hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, a long line of environmental advocates voiced strong opposition to proposed new regulations weakening requirements that utilities must follow in cleaning up toxic coal ash residue at hundreds of sites across the country at which coal was burned to produce electricity."
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/headlines/voters-9-states-will-pick-people-overseeing-their-power-bills
[2] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change
[3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business
[4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy
[5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics
[6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws
[7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population
[8] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81
[9] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national
[10] https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/utilities/voters-in-9-states-get-to-pick-the-people-who-oversee-their-power-bills
[11] https://www.sej.org/headlines/data-center-boom-raises-environmental-justice-concerns-maryland
[12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism
[13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice
[14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure
[15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution
[16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology
[17] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic
[18] https://www.bayjournal.com/news/energy/data-center-boom-raises-environmental-justice-concerns-in-maryland/article_235ab6b7-7b6d-4fbe-a475-b88238899cb4.html
[19] https://www.sej.org/headlines/wildfires-2025-caused-global-havoc-study-calls-decisive-action
[20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air
[21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster
[22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests
[23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government
[24] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/canada
[25] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/mexico
[26] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2026/05/31/wildfires-2025-study-risk-solutions/90344176007/
[27] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-rollbacks-could-raise-ac-refrigeration-costs-not-promised-savings
[28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics
[29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer
[30] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29052026/epa-chemical-refrigerant-rollbacks-could-raise-costs/
[31] https://www.sej.org/headlines/sec-repealing-rule-requires-firms-report-emissions-and-climate-risk
[32] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international
[33] https://apnews.com/article/sec-climate-change-disclosure-rule-trump-d70ee730c8a124f6767ca327fe903846
[34] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-moves-open-federal-lands-more-road-vehicle-use
[35] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1
[36] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land
[37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/wildlife
[38] https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2026/05/trump-moves-open-federal-lands-more-road-vehicle-use
[39] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-delays-reporting-requirements-health-harming-chemicals
[40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health
[41] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science
[42] https://www.thenewlede.org/2026/05/epa-rollbacks-health-safety-reporting-tsca-chemicals/
[43] https://www.sej.org/headlines/could-new-tech-help-save-some-very-rare-whales
[44] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries
[45] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water
[46] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/climate/northern-right-whales-protection-technology.html
[47] https://www.sej.org/headlines/michigan-loves-river-story-happy-ending-isn-t-guaranteed
[48] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media
[49] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/religion-faith-and-spirituality
[50] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes
[51] https://bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/michigan-loves-a-river-story-but-happy-ending-isnt-guaranteed/
[52] https://www.sej.org/headlines/environmentalists-turn-out-force-oppose-trump-coal-ash-rollbacks
[53] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste
[54] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28052026/environmentalists-oppose-trump-coal-ash-rollbacks/
[55] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81/all/target%3D%26amp%3Bamp
[56] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81/all/target%3D%26amp%3Bamp?page=17
[57] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81/all/target%3D%26amp%3Bamp?page=14
[58] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81/all/target%3D%26amp%3Bamp?page=15
[59] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81/all/target%3D%26amp%3Bamp?page=16
[60] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81/all/target%3D%26amp%3Bamp?page=19
[61] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81/all/target%3D%26amp%3Bamp?page=20
[62] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81/all/target%3D%26amp%3Bamp?page=21
[63] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81/all/target%3D%26amp%3Bamp?page=22
[64] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81/all/target%3D%26amp%3Bamp?page=4780